Highland Fires (23 page)

She shuddered, her mind wondering what new
pleasure Lugus would give her next. She didn’t have long to wait as
his hands cupped her breasts and began to tweak her already
sensitive nipples.

Just when she didn’t think she could take any
more, Lugus’ hands moved down her stomach and over her hips to rest
on her thighs. Her breath locked in her chest as she waited,
yearning for him to touch her, to ease the ache within her.

Then, his fingers spread her folds, opening
her fully. Ahryn moaned as his finger dipped into her center and
spread her arousal over her sex. His thumb circled her pearl as his
finger entered her, stroking her to new heights. He entered a
second finger, stretching her.

“By the stars you’re tight,” he whispered as
he nipped at her ear.

Ahryn shuddered and gripped his forearms as
he pushed farther into her. She cried out, her climax building
again. With just a touch Lugus could send her body soaring.

“Lugus,” she moaned as she ground her hips
against him.

Suddenly, his hand was gone. She started to
turn around to face him when his hands gripped her hips and lifted
her. That’s when she felt the tip of his rod against her sex.
Slowly, he guided her down his length only to stop.

“Nay,” she cried and tried to move against
him, but he held her still.

His face was pressed against her neck, his
chest rising and falling rapidly. “Why didn’t you tell me,
Ahryn?”

Through her haze of desire she realized what
he asked. “I never found anyone I wanted to share my body with.
Until you.”

For several heartbeats Lugus didn’t move,
then he kissed her neck softly. “This might hurt.”

Ahryn knew it would hurt, but she also knew
she had to have him fill her. All of him. She didn’t wait on him
but used her legs to lift herself up. He must have known what she
was doing, because as she lowered herself, he shifted his hips and
broke through her hymen.

The pain broke through her desire, but
Ahryn’s body was in such a state of need, that she hardly felt
anything other than the fullness of Lugus as he filled her
completely.

“I’ve waited for this, for you,” she said as
she turned her head and kissed him.

Lugus took her mouth and put as much passion
and love into the kiss as he could, praying she felt the depth of
his feelings for her. He had never been so humbled. It had never
crossed his mind that Ahryn might be untouched. Most Fae
experienced sex before they married. It was part of their culture,
especially since Fae were very sensual creatures.

He gently rocked his hips and heard the
breathy moan that left Ahryn’s lips. His need for her had only
grown with each touch and taste of her until he shook with it. He
broke the kiss and continued to move his hips until she rocked
against him.

Then he allowed her to control the tempo. He
closed his eyes and let himself explore the pleasure that poured
through his body. It wasn’t long until his jaw clenched as his
orgasm threatened. He wasn’t about to peak without taking Ahryn
with him.

He moved his arms to encircle her. With one
hand, he plucked at a nipple, and with the other, he found her
pearl and rolled it between his fingers until she was panting and
calling out his name.

She was so close, but Lugus didn’t know if he
could hold off much longer. Then, Ahryn’s body jerked as her climax
claimed her, and Lugus let himself go, pouring his seed deep inside
her.

It seemed an eternity later that he opened
his eyes to find himself lying back on the settee still deep inside
Ahryn as she lay on his chest.

Lugus blinked as he realized what he had just
shared with Ahryn. It had been glorious and unique, and he knew
deep in the pit of his soul that he would never experience such
wonders again with another woman. Ahryn was meant for him.

It was too bad he wasn’t the right man to
claim her.

~ ~ ~

Lugus watched the sun rise over the horizon
and embedded the memory in his mind. He glanced at the settee and
Ahryn sleeping soundly. He had made love to her many times during
the night and each time he found he wanted her more than the
last.

His appetite for her was growing and he
feared it could very well take over his life. If he tasted her
sweet flesh or kissed her plump lips once more, he knew he could
never leave her. And he cared about her too much for that.

Lugus jerked as if struck as he realized what
he had just thought.

He cared of Ahryn, cared for her more than he
had ever cared for another person. What he thought was love for
Moira was nothing compared to his feelings for Ahryn.

And he knew she would do whatever it took to
be by his side, which helped to make up his mind.

His eyes moved to the doors as they silently
opened and he spotted Tane. He gave the Draconian a nod before he
knelt beside Ahryn and traced her jaw with his finger.

Because he was too afraid of what would
happen if he actually uttered the words, he mouthed, “I love you,
Ahryn.”

With one last look at her, he walked from the
bath.

“Lugus?”

He ignored Tane’s question and walked to the
throne room. “Whatever questions you might have, keep them,” he
told the Draconian.

“You should have told her.”

Lugus stopped and whirled
around to face Tane. “Told who what?”


Tane crossed his arms over his chest
and glared. “You know I speak of Ahryn. You should have told her
you weren’t planning on returning here.”

Lugus quickly looked away lest the Draconian
see how desperately he wished to cling to Ahryn and the feelings
she stirred within him.

“You can return,” Tane said.

Lugus looked to the throne room and Rufina
sitting quietly on her throne. “I can’t. There isn’t forgiveness in
the things I’ve done.”

He hurried away from Tane before the
Draconian said more or dug deeper. All Lugus had to hold onto was
the night he and Ahryn had spent together and the knowledge that he
was finally doing the right thing.

As his footsteps took him closer to his
sister-in-law, he saw her fair head raise and hope shine in her
blue depths.

“Today?” she asked, trying to hide the
eagerness in her voice.

Lugus brought her hand to his lips and placed
a light kiss on her knuckles. “Right now. I will return Theron to
you,” he promised and stepped away to see Aimery standing off to
the left.

He didn’t wait to see if Aimery had anything
to say to him, he knew how the Fae commander felt. Lugus’ gaze
scanned the huge room until he spotted Tane leaning against a
wall.

“I had a feeling you would want to do this
today,” Tane said as he pushed off the wall and walked to
Lugus.

“Theron has been in the darkness long enough.
I fear to wait too much longer.”

Tane nodded. “What do you need?”

“Water,” Lugus said. “As much water as I can
carry.”

Rufina licked her lips. “Aimery, please see
to Lugus’ request.”

Lugus watched as Aimery left the throne room
before he turned to Tane. “You have the look of someone who has
something to say.”

In the depths of his being, Lugus prayed Tane
would not let it slip that he wasn’t planning on returning with
Theron. For long moments Tane returned his stare.

“I do,” Tane said and walked toward him.
“Have you not wondered how you were able to open the gateway to
this realm?”

Lugus shrugged. “I haven’t thought much about
it.”

“I’m amazed that no one has stepped forward
with the reason,” Tane continued. “I would have assumed that
someone at the palace would have known the truth.”

“What truth?” Rufina asked.

Tane visibly sighed. “Lugus, as soon as you
were born, the markings were placed on your body.”

Lugus looked down at his arms were the
tattoos covered his skin. “Why?”

“You were heir to the kingdom,” Tane replied.
“Only upon your death would the markings transfer to Theron unless
you had an heir.”

Lugus ran a hand down his face. “No one ever
explained to me what they were.”

“I imagine your father had planned to impart
all that knowledge to you at a certain time.”

Lugus then recalled the many times his father
had said as soon as he learned to control his temper he had many
things to speak to him about. Lugus realized now that those “many
things” were the tattoos and what each represented.

He swallowed and raised his gaze to Tane.
“That’s how I managed to escape the Realm of Shadows, isn’t
it?”

Tane nodded. “Each marking holds certain
power, regardless of whether you are mortal or immortal. As long as
you live, you will be able to open gateways.”

“And what else?”

“I’m not sure,” Tane said. “For you to once
again leave the Realm of Shadows, you must touch this marking.”

Lugus looked down to see Tane pointing to the
horse tattoo on his right hand that ran from the middle of his
forearm to his wrist with intricate knotwork intertwined with the
horse.

He still stared at the marking when Aimery
came to stand beside him with several water skins. Lugus took them
from Aimery and draped them over his neck and through one arm.

He looked at Tane. “I’m ready.”

Tane nodded and glanced at Rufina before
returning his gaze to Lugus. “There’s going to be some pain.”

Lugus gritted his teeth. The pain he
remembered vividly, but it was nothing compared to the endless
darkness that would envelop him or the mind-numbing emptiness that
stretched forever.

“I can handle the pain,” he said as he
stepped closer to Tane.

The Draconian’s eyes held understanding,
understanding Lugus didn’t need--or want. The mere thought that
someone might know what he had been through and would go through
again shook his resolve.

~ ~ ~

Ahryn woke slowly and smiled into the
sunlight that streamed across her face. She stretched and felt her
muscles moan in disapproval. Lugus had promised to love her last
night, and he had. Many times.

She turned to reach for him but found the
settee empty. Her hand reached out and she felt the coolness of the
fabric. She didn’t think more of it, as she rolled onto her back
and looked at the dawning sky through the windows.

Lugus had surprised her last night. Before he
had always held a piece of himself back, but last eve, he had given
her everything. He might not have said the words, but she knew in
his actions and the way he made love to her that he loved her.

She had wondered at the sadness in his blue
eyes as he had kissed her as if he might never see her again.

Ahryn gasped and jerked upright.

“Lugus, nay,” she said and scrambled off the
settee. She hastily grabbed a sheet and wrapped it around her as
she ran toward the doors.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she urged
her feet to move quicker. She couldn’t believe Lugus would dare to
leave for the Realm of Shadows without saying good-bye, but what
hurt worse was that she knew he didn’t plan to return.

She jerked open the door and lifted the
bottom of the sheet as she lengthened her strides and ran to the
throne room.

~ ~ ~

Lugus nodded to Tane and watched as the
Draconian clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. A
heartbeat later, Tane extended his arms in front of him and opened
his palms outward. Slowly, Tane moved his arms upward and then made
a large circle with his arms.

The air around the throne room seemed to
halt, and then with a whoosh the portal opened. Lugus stared at the
abyss and wondered how he had come to be at the portal yet again.
He had sworn never to return to the darkness.

“Lugus.”

He turned his head to Rufina.

“Be careful.”

He swallowed and nodded. He inhaled deeply
and started to move into the portal when Aimery’s hand on his arm
stopped him.

Lugus met the Fae commander’s gaze and
waited.

“I wish there was another way,” Aimery
said.

“There isn’t. We all do what we must.” He
looked at the abyss before he turned back to Aimery. “Take care of
her for me.”

“Take care of….” Aimery trailed off as
realization dawned.

Lugus clapped Tane on the shoulder. “Thank
you.”

“Just find Theron.”

~ ~ ~

Tears blinded Ahryn as she stumbled and
nearly fell down the long hallway. It was as though something held
her back from reaching Lugus in time. She had to see him, had to
speak to him before he left to find Theron.

She swiped at the tears as she reached the
throne room and pulled open the doors.

For a moment she couldn’t breathe as she
stared at the great hole that took up nearly an entire wall. Then
she saw Lugus and Tane standing in front of it.

“Nay,” she said but it only came out in a
whisper. When Lugus took a step toward the portal she reached out
her hand.

“Lugus! Nay,” she screamed.

~ ~ ~

Lugus once more faced the yawning hole. He
didn’t know how hard it would be to make himself enter it, and for
a moment he feared he couldn’t.

Then he heard her. He closed his eyes and
prayed for the courage he knew didn’t exist in his body. Despite
what he knew he should do, he looked over his shoulder to see Ahryn
staggering toward him, a sheet clutched around her body as tears
coursed down her face.

The pain in her mystical blue eyes was nearly
more than he could bear. Before he changed his mind, he stepped
through the portal. With Ahryn screaming his name echoing around
him.

~ ~ ~

Ahryn collapsed onto the floor. She heard
someone screaming Lugus’ name and only dimly realized it was her
own voice.